Barishal Correspondent :
Civil society groups, environmental activists, and concerned citizens gathered in Barishal on Wednesday morning to protest the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) continued investments in fossil fuel projects in Bangladesh, calling for a shift toward renewable energy and climate justice.
The protest rally was held in front of Ashwini Kumar Town Hall, jointly organized by Prantojon Trust, CLEAN (Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network), and BWGED (Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development). The event was staged ahead of ADB’s upcoming 58th Annual Meeting, aiming to pressure the bank to align its funding with sustainable development goals.
Speakers criticized ADB’s role in financing fossil fuel and LNG-based projects, highlighting that the bank has invested approximately $4.88 billion in power generation in Bangladesh, producing a total capacity of 2,884.8 MW.
Citing examples, they pointed to ADB’s $104.11 million upgrade of Khulna’s 150 MW gas turbine plant to a 225 MW combined-cycle facility, despite an unreliable local gas supply. Similarly, the Rupsha 800 MW LNG-based power plant, nearing completion, also faces uncertainty due to gas availability issues.
Tauhedul Islam Shahazada, Executive Director of Prantojon, noted that such investments lock Bangladesh into a carbon-intensive path, while ATM Khorshed Alam, Executive Director of Arohi, stressed the need for renewable energy to ensure sustainable progress.
